From Garden to Garden

“Father!  All things are possible for you.  Take this cup away from me.  Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36.

It is easy to see the life of Jesus as a 33-year journey of a man who became Savior.  That is a story tied up with a bow that was handed to each of us as a gift.  But when we drill down and see Him as one of the Trinity who was present before the beginning of time it brings an overwhelming discovery.  Although our finite minds can’t really wrap around the Trinity, we must remember that Jesus was an active part of creation.  He has always been a part of the Trinity.  “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness’” Genesis 1:26. 

This means that the Trinity was in the Garden of Eden walking in the coolness of the day.  This means that as Jesus looked forward from the Garden of Eden, He must have seen Himself kneeling and pleading in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He must have seen that Heaven would have to briefly look away for the salvation of you and me.  And yet…He left the perfection of a life with His Father and stepped down into a world who would hate Him.  His calm life on earth quickly became a chaotic, beautiful, terrifying, and life-giving ministry like no other.  Even knowing His purpose and seeing His inevitable future He still knelt on a prayer of deliverance.  He still asked for God to bring about the purpose through a different scenario.  This prayer of suffering and pleading was framed with God’s will being at the forefront.  Jesus taught us that we are always invited to approach God with any request.  Jesus knew that God's love for Him would not be shaken by asking for something less painful.

We all have cups of suffering in our journey back home.  We each go from garden to garden like Jesus did…from the perfect and safe womb of our moms to the perfect and safe arms of God one day.  The in between is what we think will kill us…the different circumstances that flow in and out of our cups.  Because Jesus said yes in the Garden, we can say yes to our difficult situations.  Because Jesus said yes to obedience we can say yes when God asks us to endure painful times.  We must take God at His word when He says we will never be alone and His grace will always be sufficient when we lean on Him. 

Whatever you are experiencing today don’t lose sight that you are relentlessly loved, continuously watched over and being carried by the same Trinity that created all things that exist.  As we live in the tension of traveling from one garden to the next garden, may we exemplify the life of Jesus and claim every promise of comfort as He did. This morning let us remind ourselves of a shepherd who penned one of the most beautiful prayers that still has the power today to transform us.

"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.  Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You annoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodnes and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."  Psalm 23